DETROIT — Previous United Auto Staff President Dennis Williams on Wednesday pleaded guilty to attempting to embezzle union cash.
Showing up by online video in the U.S. District Courtroom in Detroit, Williams entered his plea and apologized to the customers of a union that faces a corruption probe by the office environment for Matthew Schneider, the U.S. lawyer for the Jap District of Michigan.
Williams is just one of 15 folks charged so far in the probe becoming operate Schneider, who has stated a takeover of the union stays an possibility.
“I want to close by apologizing to this court docket, to my spouse and children and to every single and every challenging-working member shelling out dues,” Williams stated just just before he officially entered his plea. “I hope by accepting obligation for my steps and for my failures, this method could possibly aid restore the religion in our union.”
Williams, sixty seven, was charged final thirty day period by federal prosecutors in Detroit with conspiring with other union officers to embezzle hundreds of countless numbers of bucks in UAW money.
Underneath the settlement to plead guilty, Williams’ sentence could not exceed 24 months. He experienced faced a optimum of five decades in prison and a high-quality of up to $250,000. No settlement was achieved on the high-quality or how much in restitutions will be paid out, which will be established at Williams’ sentencing on Jan. twenty five.
Williams, who was compelled to resign from the union on Sept. 18, stated he experienced repaid the union more than $56,000.
The UAW stated in a assertion it would pursue repayment of lawful costs and other misspent union money.
The UAW stated WIlliams “put his particular and self-fascination previously mentioned that of our customers and this union. These critical costs deserve critical lawful outcomes.”